Archive for
December 20th, 2010

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced today that guard Brandon Jennings (6-1, 169) had successful surgery this afternoon to repair a fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his left foot. The surgery was performed at the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin by Bucks Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Michael Gordon along with foot and ankle specialist Dr. Eric Malicky. Jennings is expected to miss four to six weeks of action and will be re-evaluated throughout his recovery.

Jennings, 21, had started all 25 of the Bucks games prior to his injury and led the club with 17.9 points, 5.5 assists and 47 3-pointers. Jennings had started in 107 consecutive games (114 including the postseason) prior to the injury. The second-year pro was a member of the 2009-10 All-Rookie First Team and won the NBA’s Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award in October/November, December, January and March. He tallied 55 points in his seventh professional game (November 14, 2009 against Golden State) and recorded his first career triple-double against Charlotte on October 30, 2010 – becoming the second player in NBA history (along with Elgin Baylor) to score 50-plus points and record a triple-double in their first 100 NBA games.

The sister and cousin of New Orleans player Willie Green were killed early Monday when their sport utility vehicle sped from a Detroit area freeway and slammed into a tree a few hours after the Hornets’ overtime loss to the Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Family members identified the victims as Tamara Green, 30, and Ben Green, 27, said Troy police Lt. Robert Redmond.

The pair and other relatives had attended the game to watch Willie Green, a college star at the University of Detroit Mercy, play against his hometown professional team. They had stopped at a nearby restaurant after the game.

The Miami Heat announced today that Dexter Pittman has been recalled from the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League. He was assigned to the Heat’s D-League affiliate on November 26.

“It was a very productive stint for Dexter,” said Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra, “and shows how valuable the NBA Development League is. He had an opportunity to play and learn from his mistakes, play through fatigue, foul trouble and all these things he can’t get from just practice. We were encouraged by the three-week opportunity he had.”

Pittman appeared in eight games (all starts) and averaged 16.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.63 blocks and 30.6 minutes while shooting 60.2 percent from the field. He recorded four double-doubles after posting 18 points and a team-high 10 rebounds at Iowa on December 1, 18 points and a game-high 15 rebounds vs. Iowa on December 3, 15 points and a team-high 10 rebounds vs. Austin on December 7 and then a game-high 27 points and a game-high 10 rebounds vs. Utah on December 17.

Pittman, the 32nd overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, blocked a Sioux Falls season-high six shots vs. Utah on December 17, his third multi-block game. Additionally, he led the team in points three times, rebounds six times and in blocks on three occasions.

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed point guard Lester Hudson. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced. It is likely a short-term, nonguaranteed contract.

Hudson (6-3, 190 lbs.) appeared in six games earlier this season for Washington, before being waived on November 22nd to make room for Alonzo Gee. Gee appeared in 11 games (five starts) for the Wizards, and averaged 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings (6-1, 169) will undergo surgery this afternoon to repair a fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his left foot, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Jennings, 21, was examined by Bucks orthopaedic physician Dr. Michael Gordon following Saturday’s game vs. Utah and an MRI procedure on Sunday confirmed the diagnosis.

Jennings is expected to miss four to six weeks of action and will be re-evaluated throughout his recovery.

The AP reports:

Jennings had started every game since being picked 10th overall in 2009, a string of 107 regular-season games and seven in the postseason. He’d been averaging 17.9 points per game and 5.5 assists in 25 games this year.

Jennings said earlier in the week that he hurt himself on a drive to the basket against the Spurs when he came down awkwardly on his knee and it put pressure on his ankle. Against the Jazz, he went 3 of 7 from the field and finished with six points, four assists and three rebounds.

Louisville’s Rick Pitino will coach Puerto Rico’s national team next summer in hopes of qualifying for the 2012 Olympics.

The Puerto Rico basketball federation on Monday introduced Pitino as its next coach. Pitino met with players and officials Sunday to discuss the possibility.

The Louisville Courier-Journal reports:

Arroyo is the starting point guard for the Miami Heat. Barea plays the same position for the Dallas Mavericks. Both are natives of Puerto Rico. Both are expected to play for the Puerto Rican national basketball team that has been vigorously recruiting Pitino as its coach for next summer.

“I want to make sure those two guys are committed and if they know of other guys who are committed and it’s not just the two of them,” Pitino said.

Guys such as Renaldo Balkman, the former first-round pick of the New York Knicks. And Angel Garcia, a Puerto Rican player who just walked out on Memphis to sign a pro contract with a team in Spain.

It’s not quite yet the New Year, but it feels like a different season for the 76ers.

Only a third of the way through the schedule, the Sixers have climbed out of the bottom of the Eastern Conference by going 8-3 in their last 11 games, including Saturday night’s 97-89 road victory over the shorthanded Orlando Magic.

For the Sixers, it was the perfect start to perhaps the most difficult stretch of their season: an eight-game road trip filled almost entirely playoff opponents.

The Sixers, 11-16, know they must keep their heads above water during the next two weeks.

“This stretch we had coming up, was it going to be doom and gloom or was it going to be opportunity?” Sixers coach Doug Collins asked after Saturday’s win, then quickly responded: “It was an opportunity for us.”